Alan Ladd Jr., Who Greenlit ‘Star Wars’ and Produced ‘Braveheart,’ Dies at 84

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Alan Ladd Jr., Who Greenlit ‘Star Wars’ and Produced ‘Braveheart,’ Dies at 84

Oscar-winning producer Alan Ladd Jr., who ushered in the “Star Wars” era of motion pictures, has died. He was 84.

variety.com

Oscar-winning producer and influential motion picture executive Alan Ladd Jr., who ushered in the “Star Wars” era of motion pictures, died Wednesday. He was 84.

“With the heaviest of hearts, we announce that on March 2, 2022, Alan Ladd, Jr. died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Words cannot express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on films and filmmaking will live on in his absence,” his daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones, who directed the documentary “Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies,” wrote on the film’s Facebook page.

During his tenure at 20th Century Fox in the late 1970s, Ladd greenlit “Star Wars,” a $10 million sci-fi film that would become the yardstick for blockbuster movies and tentpole film franchises thereafter. He was the son of golden age film star Alan Ladd, best remembered for “Shane,” but in many ways, Ladd Jr. had a more substantial effect on Hollywood than did his famous dad.